


Check My Heart Rate Because I Think I'm Falling For You

by Jubilee44



Series: Marvel Actor RPFs [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: Banter, Civil War, F/M, Filming, First Meetings, Flirting, Injury, Might Add More, Movie Set, One Shot, Paramedic - Freeform, emt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 00:01:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15673941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jubilee44/pseuds/Jubilee44
Summary: Sebastian takes a tumble on the set of Civil War and becomes enamored with the paramedic who arrives on the scene. But she decides to give him a hard time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All work is fiction and in no way associated with any real-life events. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. Do not repost, translate, or rework.

            Val had been a paramedic for almost five years in Los Angeles. She’d seen it all, shooting victims, assault victims, car accidents, accidental injuries, and everything in between. She was a very shy woman outside of her work. She didn’t enjoy violent movies or even crime shows. But she was intent on dedicating her life to helping others. It wasn’t an easy job and she had to make sure she left work at the door when she returned to her cozy one bedroom apartment. If she didn’t, she’d probably lose her mind.

            But this call was something totally new for her. A potential head injury, which wasn’t uncommon, but the call was coming from a movie lot.

            “What if it’s Meryl Streep and she needs CPR. Are we going to fight over who saves her life?”

            Val snickered and shook her head. Her partner in crime was Grace, a five foot ten woman who ran marathons for fun and played every sport imaginable in college. The two were inseparable both on and off the clock. Val wasn’t sure she could handle her job sometimes if Grace wasn’t by her side.

            “Does seniority decide that?”

            “Damn.” Grace sighed. “Maybe.” She pulled up to the gate of the movie lots. She rolled down the window and leaned over. “Uh, we got a call. I think they said it was on set twelve?”

            “Yeah, go right ahead.” The security guard opened the gate for them.

            “Geez, we could just come here whenever we wanted,” Val said as they drove inside.

            “No kidding. We could grab lunch and just sit here waiting for someone to walk by.”

            “Ten…eleven…okay, that’s twelve.” Val pointed out the warehouse-like building.

            “We’re coming, Meryl!” Grace parked and the two women hopped out.

            Val snapped on some gloves and headed inside while Grace grabbed a stretcher just in case.

            Val was sure she’d never been on the set of a movie before. She worked a lot so she didn’t really even get to the movie theater that often. But it was a lot bigger than she pictured, with a lot of green screens around the sets.

            “Uh…someone called for an ambulance,” Val asked someone with a clipboard and earpiece. They seemed to have some power.

            “Oh yeah, over here. One of the actors got hit pretty hard in the head.”

            Val walked over with him to the set that looked like the inside of a decrepit building. Not knowing anything about movie sets, it looked pretty damn good to her.

            There were a few people both in costume and not surrounding someone sitting on the ground.

            “Hey, the paramedic’s here.” Someone said.

            “Oh c’mon guys.” The man on the floor protested. “I’m fine!”

            They all moved aside as Val came over. “What happened?” She asked.

            “We were doing a fight scene and he got hit for real.” A tall, blond man explained.

            “Alright.” Val set her bag down and knelt in front of him. As she got a good look of the man she realized he looked familiar. But she couldn’t place the face. He had long hair a sharp jaw and was dressed in tactical gear, which she assumed was a costume.

            The man cleared his throat and his eyes widened a little. “Hey.”

            “Hi.” Val smiled. “Can you tell me your name?”

            “Sebastian, what’s yours?”

            “Oh uh…I wasn’t asking for that. I just wanted to be sure you knew your name.” She explained.

            There were a few suppressed chuckles as some of the actors and crew members watched.

            “Right, yeah, sorry.”

            “My name’s Val.” She said just to be polite.

            Sebastian smiled. “Short for Valerie?”

            “Valentina.” She dug in her bag for a penlight. “Okay, now can you tell me the date and where you are right now?”

            “It’s the thirteen and I’m in LA. I honestly didn’t get that hurt.” He assured her. “I can take some pain.”

            “I appreciate your toughness but it’s always good to make sure.” Val passed the light over his eyes.

            He winced slightly. “Alright, well I can’t complain. I got to meet you right?”

            “Mhm…” Val paid attention to his pupils instead of his coy comments. She was also trying to remember where she’d seen him before. “Follow my finger with just your eyes.” She instructed.

            “Alright…” Sebastian’s eyes followed her index finger for a few seconds but he lagged a little when she crossed her hand in front of her face.

            Val’s cheeks went red as she realized he was looking right into her eyes. “Try to follow as best you can.” She had to remain professional. He was just another patient.

            “Yep, sorry, got distracted.” He smiled cheekily and finished the test.

            “Okay now touch both fingers to the tip of your nose.”

            “So you’re Chris Evans right?”

            Val heard her coworker start to talk to the blond behind her.

            “Yeah, nice to meet you.”

            “No, nice to meet you. Val and I were hoping it was going to be Meryl Streep but I think this is a lot better.”

            She rolled her eyes at Grace’s brashness but came to expect that from her. “Where’d you get hit?” She asked Sebastian. “I want to make sure there isn’t a bump there.”

            He pointed to the right side of his head and she moved her fingers through his hair.

            “Oh my God, a girl is touching Sebastian!” Chris teased. “Anthony, come look!”

            Val smiled at the face Sebastian made at his costars. “You were in Gossip Girl, that’s where I recognize you from.”

            “Ouch! That’s all she knows you from!” The other man named Anthony walked over to listen in on the conversation.

            “Alright, shut up you two. Yes, and I’m not ashamed to admit that. I’m not embarrassed by any of my work.”

            “Covenant.” Chris faked a cough.

            “Fuck you, Evans.”

            Val laughed softly. “Alright, well there’s a pretty big bump there. I’d recommend that your doctor check you out. They may order an MRI if they think that’s necessary.” She said and pulled off her gloves.

            “Wait, you might need to check my heart rate,” Sebastian said.

            “Okay…” She found his pulse on his wrist and glanced at her watch. “It’s a little elevated but that’s normal if you were doing any physical movement. You’re all set.”

            “Really? I could’ve sworn it was beating faster ever since you arrived.” He smirked slightly.

            “Oh…no…” Chris groaned.

            “Don’t you two have work to do?” Sebastian snapped.

            Val stood up. “You’re cute.” She said sweetly.

            “Do you want to get dinner sometime then?” He stood up quickly and felt a little dizzy.

            Val went right back into work mode when she saw the much taller man start to sway. “Alright, maybe we should take you to the hospital.” She grabbed his arm to help steady him.

            “What? No, no, no, that’s not necessary. You’re just taking my breath away…oh shit yeah I need to sit down.”                 

            “Sebastian, just go get checked out,” Chris said. “You’ll get to ride in the ambulance with her. You can keep annoying her with your pathetic flirting.”

            Val couldn’t help but smile. “It’s sort of adorable. I wouldn’t mind another twenty minutes of it.”

            “How about a few hours? You know LA traffic.” Sebastian sat down so he didn’t fall over.

            “Or maybe you just want me to go out with you.” Grace walked over with the stretcher.

            “Maybe.”

            “Get onto the stretcher and maybe we’ll talk.”

            Sebastian sighed. “Only because you asked.”

 

            In the ambulance, Val continued checking his vitals.

            “How’s that heart rate?”

            “Still normal.”

            Sebastian chuckled and rested his head back. “Oh, this would’ve gone smoother if we had just met in a bar.”

            “You wouldn’t have as many pick-up lines though.”

            “Well…if you’d told me you were a paramedic I’d probably use the same ones.” He admitted.

            “Well, maybe we could go out sometime?”

            “Really?” Sebastian perked up.

            “As long as the doctor says you’re okay then yes. I’ll give you my number before I leave.”

            “You sure you don’t want to stick around? I heard MRIs can be sexy as hell.”

            Val laughed. “You are something, d’you know that?”

            “Yeah…I try.”

            “You’re funny.”

            “You’re gorgeous.”

            “Hm…sure you’re not still dizzy? Seeing double?”

            He grinned and shook his head. “Nah, you are making my head spin a little though.”

            “Do you ever run out of material?” Val stood up when she felt the ambulance slow down near the emergency room intake door.

            “Well, you’ll have to stick around to find out.”

            “I’ve never dated an actor before.” Val opened the back doors.

            “I’ve never dated a paramedic before.”

            Grace came around. “Oh my God, can you two stop? I had to listen to your stupid flirting the whole way. You’re lucky I didn’t turn the siren on to drown you two out.”

            Sebastian and Val glanced at each other and laughed. It was only the beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

            “Val!”

            She turned when she heard a nurse, Maggie, in the emergency room calling her over. “What’s up?” She wondered.

            “Someone brought you flowers.” The young nurse, who Val knew from crossing paths many times, smiled widely.

            “Really?” Val walked over to the nurse’s station with her and sure enough, a large bouquet of blue and purple flowers sat on the desk.

            “Mhm, do you know him?”

            “Uh…if I’m thinking it’s the guy I met then yes.” Val found the card among the petals and opened it.

            “You should’ve seen him, he was so handsome. He was wearing this leather jacket and jeans. Oh my God, he was so dreamy. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t speaking English when he started talking to me.”

            Val read over the note in disbelief.

 

            _Valentina,_

_Thank you so much for our paramedic expertise. Doc says I have a small concussion but I’m on the mend. Should be back filming soon. Hopefully, we won’t run into each other again on the basis of medical emergencies. But I’d like to see you again when we’re both off work. Here’s my number so we can get in touch._

_Hope to see you soon,_

_Sebastian_

 

            “Wow…” Val whispered quietly. Even after all the grief, she gave him, he wanted to spend more time with her.

            “He was adorable, he asked if you were around but I told him he just missed you. I told him you’d probably be back soon and he was worried the flowers wouldn’t get to you. But I assured him I’d text you. There was also this little boy who broke his arm and recognized him. I guess he’s an actor or something, I didn’t know who he was. And he signed the boy’s cast. Isn’t that adorable?” Maggie squealed.

            “That’s pretty cute.” Val agreed. “So he brought them in himself?” She was impressed. Usually, if a boyfriend or potential boyfriend bought her flowers, they just had them delivered to her.

            “He said he wanted to see you.” Maggie shrugged.

            Val’s face turned red. “Wow, okay…I guess I should text him.” She put his number into her phone.

            “He gave you his number? Oh my God, lock him down.” The nurse replied sternly. There was a sharp beeping and she groaned. “This girl has been buzzing nonstop. She’s been demanding everything.” She rolled her eyes and got up.

            “Mags, will you keep these safe until my shift is over?”

            “Of course. I’ll keep a good eye on them.”

 

          _Val: Thank you so much for the flowers, they were beautiful. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to see you._

_Sebastian: No worries. You were out saving lives_

_Val: Want to get dinner tomorrow? I’m working in the morning. Are you shooting anything?_

_Sebastian: Nah, I’m done for the week. They postponed my scenes while I recover. We can get dinner._

_Val: Great, you can pick where we go. I don’t need anything fancy._

_Sebastian: There’s a good pub around the corner from the hospital. It’s casual; we can get a few drinks, shoot some pool._

_Val: Sounds fun. I’ll meet you there at eight?_

_Sebastian: It’s a date. Can’t wait to see you._

 

            Val stood by the entrance of the pub and checked her phone for the time again. She sighed when it read quarter after eight.

            She’d been thrilled to see Sebastian again. She spent hours trying to figure out the perfect outfit. One that was nice but didn’t try too hard. She settled on a skirt and a nice ruffled tank top paired with a jean jacket. She double-checked with Grace and got the thumbs-up. Now she was standing on the sidewalk, worried that she was about to be stood up.

            He was a nice, attractive actor who probably got hit on all the time. She was just an EMT from a small town. And she didn’t feel she was nearly as pretty as the actresses in Hollywood. She didn’t buy into the fakeness of LA. There was no point. If people didn’t like who she was naturally, then they could fuck right off. But she hoped Sebastian liked who she was.

           

            “I’m here, I’m here.” Sebastian came jogging down the sidewalk. “Fuck, I’m sorry, I know I’m late.” He ran a hand through his hair. “And I…” He paused when he looked at Val for the first time. “Shit.”

            She felt a huge amount of insecurity and her eyes widened. “What?”

            “Man, I thought you looked beautiful in your uniform but…damn, I didn’t think you could get more gorgeous.”

            Val smiled and ducked her head. “Stop, you know that’s not true.”

            “I’m not blind.” Sebastian scoffed. “But I am sorry for being late. I’ll make it up to you.” He promised.

            “It’s alright. It’s not like you were a few hours late.”

            “Whoa, whoa, whoa, I’m not stupid. I would never pass up an opportunity like this. Frankly, I’m just glad you texted me. I was worried the flowers would be a little much.” He admitted and opened the door into the bar for her.

            “No, they were perfect. They look beautiful in my tiny little kitchen.”

            He chuckled. “I’m glad you liked them. I wasn’t sure what your favorite color was but your uniform was blue so I just…it’s sort of stupid.”

            “No, I like blue. Purple is my favorite though, so you nailed that.”

            “Nice…glad I let the florist decide.” He laughed and grabbed a seat at the high-top tables for them. “So how was your day?” He asked as they got settled.

            Val lost herself in his eyes for a moment as he shrugged off his leather jacket. “I uh…” She was so close that she caught the scent of his cologne and almost melted. “It was good, pretty typical.”

            “Any dumb actors with concussions?” He grinned cheekily.

            “Can’t say there were. I did save Natalie Portman’s life though.”

            “Shut up, you did?”  

            Val giggled and shook her head. “You’re the first actor I’ve treated. The first actor I’ve met actually.”

            “How long have you lived in LA?” He wove his fingers together and rested his hands on the table, just centimeters away from hers.

            “A few years. I grew up in Nevada.”

            “And you’ve never met an actor?” He raised an eyebrow.

            “Well, I’m always working so…” She shrugged. “I might have run into one though and I just didn’t know it. I mean I didn’t really recognize you.” She reminded him. “But! I did watch Captain America!”

            He smiled shyly. “You did?”

            “Yeah, you were pretty cute. Sorry, you died…wait if you died then why are you filming with them?” She realized for the first time.

            “Well, that would be unfair if I spoiled it for you. You’re just going to have to watch the rest of them.”

            “Alright…maybe we can watch them together?” She tilted her head to the side. “Unless this date goes really bad and I find out you’re a selfish douchebag.”

            “Have you gotten that impression so far?” He wondered.

            “No…you seem different than most of the people in LA or in your line of work I guess. I knew this one girl who worked on the set of a movie as like an intern and she automatically assumed she was better than me because she rubbed elbows with Hollywood’s elite.” Val rolled her eyes.

            “People who work on movies aren’t better than anyone. Hell, you’re probably better than me because you actually help people. I just stand in front of a camera and talk.”

            “Judging people isn’t really my thing.” Val shrugged and fiddled with the salt shaker on the table. “I either like someone or I don’t. It doesn’t matter status, it’s about their personality.”

            “That sounds perfectly reasonable.”

            “And I like you.” She admitted and glanced up at him sheepishly.

            He smiled genuinely. “I like you too.”

 

            “Tell me you’ve played pool before.”

            “I can’t say I’ve actually seriously tried.” Val grabbed the cue Sebastian was handing her.

            “This is going to get really cliché, okay? Because I’m going to stand behind you and teach you how to play. And you’re going to swoon over how manly I am. And I’m going to realize how absolutely perfect you are.” He said with a dead-serious look on his face.

            Val giggled. “Then could we just skip this part because I think we’re already there?”

            “Nah, it’ll be cute.” He situated himself behind her and placed his hands over hers. “And by the end of the game, I’m going to kiss you.”

            Val’s hands shook slightly and she couldn’t believe this was really happening to her. Gently held in his arms, feeling his warmth, inhaling his scent, and listening to his gentle, low voice was too much for her. She felt faint but she couldn’t let him get the last word.

            “Well, if I win, I’m going to kiss you.”

            He chuckled and his cheek grazed her hair. “Fair enough. I win both ways though.” He pointed out.

            “Me too.”

 

            Once it was all said and done, Sebastian won the game. But it didn’t matter to Val. Because he walked around the table and took her cheeks in his hands. It was like there wasn’t anyone else in the bar. He kept her close and his eyes flicked over her face briefly.

            Val licked her bottom lip and nodded slightly to give him the go-ahead. He smiled slightly and leaned in to kiss her. He was right about one thing; it was every cliché she’d ever heard of.

            Her ears were ringing as she felt sparks jolting down her spine. The only thought in Val’s head was the way his lips felt. Her knees buckled and she wondered how she had missed out on this experience her entire life. Maybe because she just hadn’t met the right guy. Sebastian was that guy.

            His thumb brushed over her cheek as he drew away. “Wow…” He breathed and the tip of his nose brushed against her cheekbone. “Uh…I think my brain just short-circuited.”

            Val laughed softly and nodded. “Yeah, I totally know how that feels. It just happened to me too.”

            “Want to see if it happens again?” His eyes sparkled and he moved one hand to her waist.

            “Well if we don’t try we’ll never know.”

            “Exactly my thoughts.” He pulled her closer and kissed her again. She did everything she could to not lose her mind completely but he had some sort of effect on her. It was like a drug and her heart raced uncontrollably. It was dizzying but she craved more.

            They pulled away for air and Sebastian laughed. “Yeah, wow, I could get used to this.”

            “I think you need to check my heart rate,” Val whispered.

            “Yeah? Might as well check mine too.”

            She grabbed his shirt to pull him back to her lips.


	3. Chapter 3

            Val and Sebastian had been dating for nearly a year. They were something from a rom-com, that’s what all their friends said. They were the life of the party, always making each other laugh. They had their own routines and never got sick of being around each other. Of course, they got into fights, everyone did. But they had a rule to never go to bed angry.

            They’d been living together for a few months once Val’s lease was up. They became even closer and Sebastian was starting to notice diamond rings when they passed by jewelry stores. He even asked Grace what kind of diamond cut Valentina might like best. Of course, he had to be careful, Val's coworker wasn't the best at keeping secrets. But, he never doubted the fact that they would get married. He just needed to find the perfect ring and find the best moment to ask.

            One night, Val returned home a few hours after dinner. Sebastian had left early that morning so they hadn’t seen each other all day. Those were the worst days when they were apart. It killed Sebastian when he traveled. Sleeping alone had never been hard for Sebastian before he met Val. But after the first night she spent over his apartment, he hated when she wasn't in his bed. She was small but always managed to take up most of the king-sized bed. She started off cuddling with Sebastian, but by the middle of the night, she pushed him to the side and spread out like a starfish, taking most of the pillow space and blankets. He wouldn't have it any other way. He loved waking up every morning to see her wild hair, hear her snoring, and see how she had claimed all the covers. She was his everything.

            He grabbed a bowl of pasta to heat up for her when he heard her walking in. “Hey, _iubi_ ,” He glanced over his shoulder to see her coming into the kitchen. Instantly, he knew something was wrong. Usually, Val didn’t bring the stress of work home with her. But there were some days when she didn’t seem as carefree as she normally was.

            “Hi…” She said quietly. Her eyes were glassy, staring off into space as she took off her jacket. She moved like a zombie over to the kitchen counter, her mind was clearly elsewhere. It was like she barely even noticed he was standing there. 

            “Are you okay?” He asked gently.

            She swallowed and nodded. But it was obvious she was lying. She couldn’t even bring herself to assure him verbally. When she was quiet, something was seriously wrong. 

            Sebastian set down the pasta and walked around the counter to her. “Valentina, tell me what’s wrong. Did something happen?” He touched her arm and tried to get her to look at him. He hated when she tried to hide her feelings from him. It made him anxious when he couldn't help her with the problems she might be facing alone. 

            “There was a car accident…a car spun on the ice and flipped over the guardrail.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. She spoke like she was still on the scene, horrified by what she was seeing. “This baby in the backseat…”

            Sebastian’s heart sank. The hardest thing for Val to handle in her line of work was seeing kids injured. He wrapped his arms around her. “Val…I’m sorry.” He rubbed her back.

            “The mother didn’t buckle him in well enough and he…he just looked like a rag doll all mangled. He was just so broken...I've never seen anyone that hurt” She burst into tears. "He was so young." 

            He scooped her up and went to sit on the couch, letting her curl up in his arms. He kept her close, refusing to let go in her time of need. “I’m sorry…I can’t even imagine.”

            “He was dead before we even got there. The snow was too bad, we couldn’t get there fast enough.” She hiccupped as she cried into his shoulder. "I can't get it out of my head." 

            “It wasn’t your fault.” He assured her. “You did your best.” There wasn’t anything else he could tell her. His girlfriend wasn’t a superhero; no EMT could save every single person. Sebastian knew that if Val had it her way, she would save everyone she met and make sure they went on to be perfectly healthy. “ _Draga mea,_ you did your best.” He soothed. "That's all you can do at the end of the day."

            Val’s chest tightened as she cried hoarsely. “It was horrible. I don't understand why it had to happen.” It was times like these when Val questioned her faith. Why would her mother's God let innocent children die in such a tragic way? 

            "I don't know. I don't understand it either." Sebastian wished he could erase all the bad things she had to see. If he had the chance, he would take on her burdens without hesitation. She was so kind and caring she deserved to live without such terrible memories. He would do anything for her. “It’ll heal.” He murmured.

            “When we have kids, I’m going to be so careful.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes on his shirt. She knew he didn’t mind. "I'm going to do everything I can to make sure they're perfectly safe. I don't care if people think I'm crazy or whatever. I'm never letting something like that happen to them." She vowed.

            “Okay.” He nodded. Just like their marriage, there wasn’t much question as to whether they would have kids. They were ready to spend the rest of their lives together, it would just take time to reach that moment in time where they were married with kids. But he couldn't wait until it came. He knew how happy they would be.

            “I love you.” She whispered. "You make everything seem so much better." 

            “I love you too, _draga_ _mea._ ” He kissed her forehead. "You don't know how happy you make me. I just wish I could take the pain away." 

            "You're enough." She closed her eyes and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He contineud to hold her, running his fingers through her hair to comfort her as best he could. 


End file.
